Friday, July 10, 2009

A senseless tragedy: parents who adopted kids with disabilities shot to death

I just found out that Byrd and Melanie Billings, parents of 16 in Beulah, Florida, were shot to death in their home. They had 12 adopted kids, several of whom had developmental disabilities. Others had been sexually abused or were born to drug-addicted moms. Evidently, eight of the kids were in the home when the couple was killed tonight. At this point, police are saying it was a home invasion by three men in a red van.

Our hearts and prayers go out to these children. It just seems like the world is getting worse by the day. It's enough to make you want to move to a deserted island and cut off all contact with humanity. We will be praying for this family and these children.

These poor children have been through too much already. First they have a disability or are abused, second they have the trauma of losing their birth family (even if it's the right thing to do it's still traumatic), and now their parents are murdered in front of them? The men who did this have caused more pain than they could possibly understand.

This is Joyce. I cannot even grasp how this can be. So heartbreaking. Since you posted this there has been a news conference and it seems they have persons of interest and most of it was caught on an elaborate video system at the house. Hopefully this will all help in the investigation. It just makes no sense.

Totally senseless. That amazing couple gave these children something that many of them may never have experienced love and security and it was taken from them in an instant. I hope they find who did it and hopefully the death penalty exists where they are caught.